By Hameed Ajibola Jimoh Esq.

The Nigerian Bar Association is an association of lawyers that is a non-profit making, non-political and non-governmental organization. The Association was registered under the Part C of the Companies and Allied Matters Act as incorporated trustees.
The Association’s aims and objectives are as contained in Section 3 of its Constitution. However, the most surprising thing is how some lawyers as members of the Association which has branches across the Federation, with due respect, have turned the Association and its affairs to a platform for business as usual rather than to serve humanity. There have some failures in the NBA, the most of all is the inability of the national NBA to bring its members at various branches together as a whole and the resulting rise in the factional branches all across almost all its branches! This paper aims at some good pieces of advice for the newly elected and sworn in as the President of the NBA- Mr Olumide Akpata.

First and foremost, the Nigerian Bar Association is supposed to be an association of lawyers who are ready to serve humanity and for God’s and humanity’s sake alone. However, the reverse has always or majorly been the case. Some lawyers, with due respect to them, see the association as an opportunity to amass the wealth and the funds of the members. Some of the leaders or chairmen have been reported by one aggrieved member or executive member or the other of sidelining them just in order for those chairmen to be able to embezzle the funds of the branch or of the association at the national level without other executive members being aware.

If truly there is no skeleton in the cupboard, why then the shadow leadership?! Why can there be no transparency?! To worsen the situation, even the young amount the lawyers have continued to suffer with a very poor welfare! NBA is more than millionaire association in Nigeria considering its recent financial records! The covid-19 saga has almost become the bitter experience for the young lawyers! Payment of the token sum of ten thousand naira (N10,000.00) to young lawyers (as lawyers!) by the NBA just recently as Covid-19 palliative package, with due respect, was nothing but a show of failure of welfare of the NBA for its members, when at the same time and within the same period, over eight hundred million naira (N800,000,000.00) was to be spent on the 2020 national virtual conference! So, why could the NBA not pay more to those qualified among its members?! If majority of members of the association suffer economically, how would they be able to afford to attend the national conferences of the association?! Why then would the NBA not cater for the welfare of its members?! I should think that the reason for its failure in this respect is not as a result of financial incapacity as such excuse would be unfounded having regard to the strong financial strength of the association! I should salute the welfare on the electronic lawpavilion by the Young Lawyers’ Forum of the NBA for its young members! The electronic lawpavilion is indeed has been very useful for me inclusive!

Furthermore, I am of the humble view, with due respect, that there should be investigation on financial crimes of all heads of leadership of the NBA at both the national and the branches for thorough scrutiny as to discovering those who have rather than use their office to serve have rather used it as business as usual! This will bring about transparency and accountability! I know very well that Lawyers’ Network Against Corruption (LAWNAC) is on its way to fishing out any of those NBA leadership that must have taken the advantage of the office that they hold to embezzle and breed corruption thereby destroying the Association!

Corruption in the NBA is a way of destruction! The wealth in the NBA at all levels should rather be channeled towards capacity building of young lawyers and to build confidence in the public about lawyers! How are we concerned as to how some of the members of the NBA have breached the trust that the public or their clients have in them?! Some members (especially seniors) with due respect to them, capitalise on the so called ‘cabal’ who are not ready to serve humanity but are ready to do the business as usual with the NBA office and then, become incapable of championing the aims and objectives of the Association, to commit atrocities and those evil-doing lawyers would always get away with their unethical conducts!

It really surprises me a lot when I see some of the elected officers of the NBA holding parties and other feasts worth some tangible sum of money! Where would they realize such huge sum of money from?! That means there is a caveat! Members beware of financial jackals! In fact, if truly officers of the NBA are ready to serve its members and the public, then, their conducts and disposure should reflect their intent! Why spending the association’s money on frivolities?! The NBA should always prioritize its programme and its operations so as not to engage in financial wastage with not positive impacts on the welfare of its members!

Furthermore, the NBA election as a Non-Governmental, non-profit and non-political professional organization is almost not more different from the regular elections of political parties in Nigeria! Some members are becoming almost open enemies! How would the new President- Mr Olumide- unite members and cure this rancor is a great assignment for him, with due respect!

Much more of recent, some issues in the NBA have almost become ethnic in nature! The recent national conference of the Association was criticized for its failure in being sensitive to its decisions, notwithstanding the National Executive Committee (NEC)’s decision! In another way, a member must strive to connect with the officers in charge one way or the other so as to have a thorough way for him or herself! I wish My Akpata well in fulfilling his promises to the members of the Association and the public as a whole!

Finally, the above are just some of my observations as to some of the failures in the affairs of the NBA which are some assignments for Mr Olumide Akpata to strive on how he could achieve solutions to them and other issues of the NBA which I have not discussed! I am much more confident that the leadership of the NBA would be a new beginning than it has always been in his leadership! I also wish that NBA would not be a scape goat in the application of the section 839 of the Companies and Allied Matters Act, 2020- on takeover and appointment of interim manager or managers to manage the affairs of the association where things fall apart and the center can no more hold! May God Almighty forbid bad thing!

It is important for me to remind the entire executives of the NBA Abuja Branch (the Unity Bar), all other executives of all the Branches of the NBA and the National Officers that the Association that they should be used to serve humanity defined as members of the Association and the public interest and that political office should not be used for business as usual as whatever we do today, we shall account to God Almighty now or later! Whether we are Muslims or Christians, we must know and always remind ourselves that corruption is an abomination and is unacceptable and prohibited by God Almighty! I pray that God Almighty would be with you to achieve astounding success as the President of the NBA in this leadership and NBA would cease to fail in its responsibilities!

Long live the NBA! Long live the legal profession! Long live the Federal Republic of Nigeria!

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